


A slip of the Tongue

by Storybookwriter



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Betting Pool, Gen, Swearing, T'Pol accidentally swearing, hoshi called it, humour i hope, let vulcans say "fuck"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 03:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14729115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storybookwriter/pseuds/Storybookwriter
Summary: When you've been around humans long enough, eventually, you start to pick up some of their habits.





	A slip of the Tongue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to be funny without much success. One of my shorter stories. Less than 1000 words. Go me.

Archer had no idea what had happened. It was not like he was paying attention in the first place. It was a slow day on the Bridge. Nothing had caught their attention. There were a few dwarf planets, identical to Pluto at the most. On more than one occasion, he found himself nearly lulled to sleep with the hypnotic whirling and beeping of devices all around the Bridge. He had hoped that the cup of coffee that was brought to him would perk him up, but the caffeine had only succeeded in increasing his heart rate. It took all of his concentration not to pace around the Bridge. He could not prevent himself, however, from keeping his leg from bouncing up and down.  
“T’Pol, I’d like that scan of that passing solar system.”  
“Right away, sir.”  
Of course, he knew there would be nothing of interest. T’Pol was always thorough in her scans and her voice would be the first to announce if anything out of the ordinary or intriguing appeared on their sensors. But he was so bored. Part of him hoped that the readings would somehow bend temporal mechanics and bring this shift to an end.  
Her steady steps could be heard from behind as she withdrew from her station, scan in hand.  
Had he been aware of what was to come, he would have waited a few more seconds before taking a sip of his coffee.  
From behind, there was a sharp clang of something hard colliding with the metal step followed by a strongly delivered profanity that was the last word that Archer had expected from his science officer.  
Archer had expressed his astonishment by ejecting his half-swallowed coffee all over his lap and the PADD that was being held.  
Just short of all atomic motion froze in place on the Bridge with the sole exception of Archer coughing up the bit of coffee that escaped to his windpipe. Reed and Mayweather, whose heads jerked up, weren’t bothering to hide exactly what they were thinking. Both shared similar expression of wide-eyes and jaws unhinged. Others had gained a sudden interest in their consuls though bend backs and shaking shoulders betrayed poorly concealed laughter. Hoshi had cast glances around the Bridge. After pounding his chest and taking several deep breaths, Archer swung around in his chair.  
“Did you say something Sub-Commander?”  
For the first time since her addition to the crew, T’Pol did not have a response prepared, simply staring, tight-lipped and stance stiff. Archer could have sworn her face had considerably more colour than it usually held.  
It was against Starfleet regulations to swear on the Bridge and generally frowned upon in general. But that did little to prevent people from adding them in day-to-day conversation. Archer did try and curb Trip’s habit of his more “colourful metaphors” (as T’Pol had called them in the not-so-distant past) but after a few unsuccessful attempts, he had given up. He figured that if there was someone with even half of Trip’s engineering skills, they should be allowed to say whatever the Hell they wanted. His only request was that he try not to swear around Admiral Forrest or the Vulcan High Command.  
But this.  
This was a situation that neither Starfleet Command nor the Vulcan High Command did not prepare him for. Well, logically (great, now he was beginning to sound like a Vulcan), he would have to follow the rules and give her a warning about the possible consequences if she should do it again. But she was Vulcan and Vulcans did not swear.  
…..  
……….  
But T’Pol just swore. The entire Bridge had heard that word. Archer leaned back in thought. A slip of the tongue? No, Vulcans considered themselves far too controlled to allow themselves to make mistakes like that. But that was still back to the original matter. T’Pol swore, loud and clear. On the Bridge.  
Archer’s head turned when he began to hear the shuffling of feet. One by one, crew members began to pick themselves from their stations and dropping items that could be considered “currency” at her station.  
T’Pol had quickly retreated back to her station and refused to make eye-contact with anyone for the remainder of the shift.  
~~~  
The shift did eventually come to an end and those from the Alpha shift had quickly shared what had transpired on the Bridge to their Beta shift counterparts. Archer would not doubt that he would hear the story orbit around the shift for the next few days. T’Pol had vanished, no doubt choosing the solidarity of her quarters over the mess hall. He would have to go and talk to her sooner or later.  
He had spent no more than 3 minutes in his quarters when Commander Tucker had very nearly kicked down the door.  
“Captain! Is it true that T’Pol said “fuck” on the Bridge?!”  
Archer placed his PADD down, leaned back and folded his arms across his chest.  
“As I understand it Commander, you owe Ensign Sato your dessert rations in our next emergency.”  
Upon visiting the security footage for the evidence, it was clarified that the sharp sound of metal he had heard only seconds before the climax was the toe of her thin Vulcan shoes colliding hard with the top step.


End file.
